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Chamberlain teen meets wish-granters

Make-A-Wish South Dakota wish recipient Brady Bunker, of Chamberlain, smiles during an event Friday at Cabela's in Mitchell, where he received the money to travel in May to the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. (Chris Huber/Republic)

Chamberlain High School senior Brady Bunker has never been to a concert, but that will change in May.

Bunker will travel with his family to the CMA Music Festival in Nashville through a South Dakota Make-A-Wish Foundation grant.

Bunker, who has cerebral palsy, is having his wish granted by employees at Cabela's in Mitchell.

The outdoors store raised $6,035 through a 12-person committee. Fundraisers included a 5k walk/run, fish-fry dinners, silent auctions and a pie-in-the-face event.

"Our goal was $5,000, but we were so close to $6,000 we just decided to keep going," said Cabela's retail marketing specialist Jen Johnston.

"We were asked to be more involved in the community, and we couldn't think of a better organization than this where you get to grant the wish of a child." The music festival spans four days June 6-9 and will feature top acts in country music taking the stage at multiple venues throughout Nashville. Bunker said he hopes to see Toby Keith and The Zac Brown Band and said he hopes to see Taylor Swift, too, though maybe not for her music.

"I just thought it would be kind of fun to get away and maybe see if I can party with some famous people," Bunker said. This is the second wish being granted to the Bunker family through the South Dakota Make-A-Wish foundation. Brady's younger brother Lucas was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005 and got to travel to Disney World for his wish.

Lucas, now 16, will travel with Brady and their mother in May to Nashville for the CMA Music Festival.